Motivation and Social Action

Some definite ideals that operationalize themselves into the aims of action exist in each society group or social movement. At a certain moment of time, in the observed social system, there is a perception at social groups to find out how far is the real situation from the established aims. The purpose of this is just to establish some hypothesis about the influence of the perception of the dimension of distance, concerning the present situation and the established aims, on the motivation for action which drives at reaching those aims. The basic hypothesis says that if the aim were perceived as too close or too far, the motivation of action would be lessened. Emotive elements, that are being present in both situations, are, in fact, different. In the first instance the weak motivation is accompanied by the feeling of satisfaction and in the second it is accompanied by the feeling of resignation. There is a certain optimum distance perception of reality and aims which maximally mobilize to action. Those political movements which try to keep the high level of mobilization must, therefore, find the way to present the distance of aims always on a certain degree. Further discussions refer just to the situation when the »optimum« perception remains constant through a longer period of time. The answers in such a situation can be a revolutionary action, redefinition of aims or any other way of behavior out of the repertoire of answers to the frustrated situation. If the presented hypothesis were correct, what is the result of the action following the »optimum« level of perception? The result of every action is, in fact, lessening of motivation for its further realization. According to that hypothesis, if we approach the aim the results is lessening of motivation the same as when we are moving further from it. That explains, in fact, the oscillations of the revolutionary movements raging from spontaneity to necessary institutionalization. The only way out can be the redefinition of aims which may produce the impression of their constant distance. It is necessary to mention that a high motivation, and action resulting from it, do not mean the increasing of power of those who are in action. That action can be autonomous expression of some of the participants or the results of the purely manipulating behavior. The former observations give us two possible criteria for the evaluation of the efficiency of a certain political system. The first one is the question of how long the motivation can be kept at a high level and the second one is the question of how efficiently that system works at periods when the group motivation is at »low tide«, that is, at periods of institutionalization of the movement